By: John L. Winright
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Paul and Sheryl Combs of Bryan have bought the house at 317 West Butler Street, and this is where their dream of a new art gallery will begin.
The house is 150 years old and has a dynamic history as a doctor’s office for many years and then as the “Christmas Manor”.
Paul, a Bryan native, and Sheryl, who is from Mt. Vernon, met each other while attending Defiance College and were later married. They have one daughter who is a photographer and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Paul has been an artist ever since he learned to draw. He belonged to the Bryan Fire Department for approximately 25 years and just recently retired. Because of this experience, much of his artwork is of firetrucks, equipment, and other various themes.
Paul and Sheryl’s art gallery that they had in their home just became too small, so they started to look for something that would work better and be in a more prominent uptown location.
When they heard that this property was for sale, they felt it would be perfect for what they were seeking.
The local high schools have great programs and have turned out some tremendous artists but upon graduation there presently isn’t anywhere for them to display their work. Paul said that throughout the region the amount of talent is unbelievable.
The gallery will have one area where the Comb’s will display their artwork all year round, but the rest of the house downstairs will have various rooms for the different exhibits with five shows per year displaying different themes.
The house is a beautiful old fashion style and design with very high ceilings and antique lighting and fixtures. Paul and Sheryl are presently remodeling the house with a lot of painting, replacing wallpaper and other tasks.
The grand opening for Gallery 317 is tentatively set for October of this year and will be a tremendous addition to the culture of the downtown area and region.
